Enrollment
260
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Runnells, IA
Runnells Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Runnells Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192682001571
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Runnells Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 23.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 260
- students enrolled
Runnells Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Southeast Polk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192682001571 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Runnells Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Runnells Elementary
Runnells Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Runnells, Iowa, enrolling 260 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 260 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 383 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #344, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 520 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Southeast Polk Comm School District also operates Southeast Polk High School (1,722 students) and Spring Creek - 6th Grade (1,112 students) alongside Runnells Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Runnells Elementary compares
Runnells Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.0% | ▼ 37% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
260
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 69% in Iowa - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,914
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 83.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 3.5%
Asian 1.9%
Largest group: White at 83.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.0, Runnells Elementary is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southeast Polk Comm School District, which includes Runnells Elementary.
$11,914
Per student
-7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 52.1%
Federal 10.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Runnells Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Polk High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spring Creek - 6th Grade | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast Polk Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clay Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willowbrook Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Runnells Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,722
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,112
- Students per teacher
- 32.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~260 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Runnells Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Runnells Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Southeast Polk Comm School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Runnells Elementary
How many students attend Runnells Elementary?
Runnells Elementary has 260 students enrolled. It is a public school in Runnells, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Runnells Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Runnells Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 3% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Runnells Elementary?
23.0% of students at Runnells Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Runnells Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Runnells Elementary is White at 83.1% of enrollment, in Runnells, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Runnells Elementary?
Runnells Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Runnells Elementary a good school?
Runnells Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Southeast Polk Comm School District?
Besides Runnells Elementary, Southeast Polk Comm School District also operates Southeast Polk High School (1,722 students), Spring Creek - 6th Grade (1,112 students), and Southeast Polk Junior High (1,088 students). See the Southeast Polk Comm School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.